Elise and Woody Widlund share their secrets to a long-lasting relationship

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Updated: 7:00 PM EST Feb 14, 2019

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WEBVTT MARRIED BACK IN 1964. 37:50 -- WOODY -- JUNE 10TH -- JUNE 20TH I'M SORRY. JUNE 10TH IS MY BIRTHDAY ELISE AND WOODY WIDLUND -- 2:22 -- I'D LIKE YOU TO MEET MY FIRST HUSBAND -- AND THIS IS MY FIRST WIFE THEY'LL BE CELEBRATING 55 YEARS TOGETHER THIS YEAR -- AND ON THIS VALENTINES DAY IN THEIR SHELBURNE HOME -- THEY SHARED THEIR SECRETS TO A SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIP. 46:30 -- WOODY -- DON'T TAKE ANY DAY FOR GRANTED SOMETHING THIS COUPLE -- HAS NEVER DONE. THEY KNEW EACH OTHER ALL OF THEIR COLLEGE DAYS -- WAITING FOR JUST THE RIGHT MOMENT 21:42 -- THERE WAS JUST A WOW FACTOR IT ONLY TOOK SIX MONTHS OF DATING -- BEFORE HE ASKED FOR HER HAND. THROUGH KIDS AND GRANDKIDS -- RUNNING A COMPANY -- THEY SAY THEY LEARNED A FEW THINGS. TOM -- IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S TWO BIG THINGS THERE: IT SOUNDS LIKE BALANCE -- AND SIMPLICITY ELISE -- AND COMMITMENT WOODY -- TOTAL ELISE -- BUT IF TWO PEOPLE ARE HONEST ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING -- AND WANT TO GROW TOGETHER -- THEY NEED ALSO AS WOODY SAID TO BE ABLE TO STEP BACK AND LET THAT HAPPEN 8:42:24 -- TOM -- YOU GUYS HAVE MADE A LOT OF MEMORIES TOGETHER THEN -- YES -- WE HAVE AND IF A PICTURE SAYS A THOUSAND WORDS -- WOODY AND ELISE HAVE CAPTURED MILLIONS. 17:03 -- ELISE -- OUR PICTURES REALLY COMPLIMENTED EACH OTHER SINCE THEY'VE RETIRED -- THE PAIR HAS TAKEN SOME 20 PHOTOGRAPHY TRIPS ACROSS THE WORLD -- FROM INDIA TO ANTARCTICA SHE SPOTS POPS OF BRIGHT COLOR. HE'S GOT AN EYE FOR BLACK AND WHITE. 15:07 -- ELISE -- WE LAUGHED A LOT AND HAD GREAT STORIES TO SHARE -- AND THAT'S WHAT HOOKED US ON IT THEY'VE HAD EXTRAVAGANT TRIPS -- YES -- BUT CANT FORGET ABOUT THE LITTLE THINGS. SAYING THANK YOU -- BEING THERE TO LISTEN. AND WHILE THE PAIR DON'T GO CRAZY ON THE LOVERS HOLIDAY -- 30:41 -- WOODY -- YOU JUST STOP FOR A MINUTE AND SAY "WELL -- I'M IMPORTANT TO STOP AND SAY SHE'S SPECIAL TO ME -- I'M SPECIAL TO HER. AND YOU JUST GO ON. I WOULD HATE TO MISS IT -- I WOULD HATE TO NOT SAY HAPPY VALENTINES DAY IN SHELBURNE -- TG -- NBC FIVE NEWS. AFTER THE BREAK-- WE'LL HAVE ONE

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Couple of 55 years shares their secrets to love

Elise and Woody Widlund share their secrets to a long-lasting relationship

We know the usual essence of Valentine's Day: red roses, chocolates, maybe a stuffed teddy bear. But as a journalist in my early-20s, I had to ask. Is there a secret to long-lasting love, like that of Elise and Woody Widlund?"Don't take any day for granted," Woody told me. The couple tied the knot after dating for six months, though they'd known each other their entire college careers.Through three kids (who now have kids of their own) and running a business together, they said that you can't forget the little things: say thank you, be there to listen. There are going to be some tough tests along the way. Some where you need to give each other space.I tried to boil down what they were saying: "It sounds like there's two big things here: balance and simplicity.""And commitment," Elise immediately continued."Total commitment," Woody added.They said too, that growth is a natural part of a developing relationship, but that doesn't always mean slowing down. The couple lives at Wake Robin Life Care Community in Shelburne.Since they've retired, the pair have taken some 20 international photography trips. She sees splashes of color. His eye is primed to capture images in black and white."Our pictures really complimented each other," Elise said. India, Antarctica, Myanmar, Iceland, and Vietnam."We laughed a lot and had great stories to share," she said. "That's what really hooked us on it."The memories came flooding back as they showed me some of their albums.If a picture says a thousand words, they've captured millions.And while they've taken trips to every end of the Earth, they still focus on those little things -- even on Valentine's Day."You just stop for a minute and say, 'Well, she's special to me,' or, 'I'm special to her,'" Woody said. "I would hate to miss it. I would hate to not say, 'Happy Valentine's Day.'"